What is your maximum comfortable range?

[longstevo]

Despite the chances of this topic turning into a flame war, I'll start it anways.  What is the maximum range you guys are comfortable shooting at game with your blackpowder rifles? 

I know with today's modern equipment we can stretch the range out to incredible ranges, but still...I'm not comfortable with shooting at more than 100 yards.  I fire a Knight Wolverine with 295 grain powerbelts with 100 grains of 777.  Pretty basic modern load.

I always hear about guys shooting bucks up to 250 or 300 yards with their muzzleloaders, and I'm not the guy who throws up the BS flag, but seriously?  If thats the case, I need to buy a new muzzleloader. 

[ICEMAN]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

[bullcanyon]

Open sights at 250 yds+ with the excitement of a big buck in front of them.  I'd throw up the flag as well....

[lokidog]

80-90 yards, not because of the gun's accuracy, but because I can't see the spot I want to hit  with the bead covering most of the animal's body.  Might (probably would) be a bit farther if I was elk hunting.

[Eli346]

Logstevo,
 I shoot the knight Bighorn and my buddy shoots the Knight Wolverine like yours. We use the same loads and feel good at 100 yds. We've shot at 150 (paper) and been in the ballpark but that's under perfect conditions; rest, plenty of time, and no pressure. I'm not saying I wouldn't do 150 but it would have to be the buck of a lifetime. Elk are a different story as the target is so much bigger. These open sights suck for a blind *censored* that's right eye dominant in my bad eye. I wish they would allow scopes up to 4 power and no more just for the better sight picture and surer shot but that's Washington.

[Sabotloader]

Despite the chances of this topic turning into a flame war, I'll start it anways.  What is the maximum range you guys are comfortable shooting at game with your blackpowder rifles? 

I know with today's modern equipment we can stretch the range out to incredible ranges, but still...I'm not comfortable with shooting at more than 100 yards.  I fire a Knight Wolverine with 295 grain powerbelts with 100 grains of 777.  Pretty basic modern load.

I am pretty comfortable shooting to 150 with the Williams FP sight that I am using and if everything were perfect... I could stretch that to 175.

I always hear about guys shooting bucks up to 250 or 300 yards with their muzzleloaders, and I'm not the guy who throws up the BS flag, but seriously?  If thats the case, I need to buy a new muzzleloader.

I do have a self imposed range of 200 yards with a scope and even them the conditions would have to be right.... But there are guys in the midwest shooting 400 yards wtih a regular ML.. not even a smokeless...

[wapiti hunter2]

Barnes 295 gr TMZ, 100 grains 777 loose.  100 yards comfortable.  If I could see like when I was 20 I would have confidence to 150 but not now.

[JKEEN33]

On paper, I can get great groups out to 200. Passed on a bear this year at around 160-170. Just adiferent story on the animal.

[huntnnw]

100...conditions were right and a great rest 150

[bobcat]

100 yards max for deer, 75 is much better. I could stretch that to 120 or a little more for elk, if everything is perfect.

[SkookumHntr]

I passed a shot at 150ish yds on a Big Bull saturday! If I had a rest or tree to lean against or anything I would have taken the shot but just to pull up and shoot at 150 is alittle past the limit for off hand! With a rest I will shoot to 200! I killed my elk last year at 190yds! Off hand 100ish is max for me

[marty]

120 yards with a perfect rest broadside standing animal but I prefer point blank!  :twocents

[wastickslinger]

Rock solid rest and perfect conditions I will shoot 150-170. Off hand 75.

[actionshooter]

150 pretty easy,  off hand if the shot is right, but generally won't.

[Machias]

>100 yards for me.

[Rooster1981]

I shoot a traditonal hawkins stlye cabelas 54. cal I shoot 430 grn maxi balls with 100 grns of american pioneer ffg.
  I can hit taget priety good free hand at 120 yards but I cant hit a deer past 100 yards free hand. I dont count shooting from a rest cuss it never seems I ever find a tree or something to lean on. I havent shot an elk yet with the muzzie so no comment on that yet 

[TheHunt]

I have an old Remington muzzlestuffer in 54 cal.  I would not have any problems hitting a pie plate at 200 yards 100% of the time if I had a great rest.  Shooting off hand... 100 yards. 

BTW, I have never killed anything with my muzzlestuffer.  My son has killed a deer (Fork-n-horn or Forked horn) and I have lent it out for friends to use and it has killed five elk. 

[Machias]

I have lent it out for friends to use and it has killed five elk. 

Can I borrow your rifle!   

[Mike450r]

Shot a cow about 5 year ago that I thought was a little over 100 yards away,  she dropped as soon as I hit her.  Didn't have binos but had rangefinder so I used the rangefinder to look at her from where I shot and ranged her at 145 yards.   150 - 175 yards I think would be my limit for elk,  100 or less for deer.

[longstevo]

Interesting.

All the game I've shot with the musket was all less than one hundred yards.  I've stretched out further and have missed cleanly, although I've also missed some shots up close as well. 

[jbender]

I have shot my muzzle loader a lot at all distances out to 200 yards and feel very comfortable with the distances of 200 or less.  Having shot my deer this year at 198 yards I can tell you I would have only taken that shot with a great rest or proned out as I happended to have been.  I was suprised at how well I could see my target on the deer vs what I see when I shoot a paper target.  Again, I had a great rest and all the time in the world.  I never would have taken a shot like that if conditions weren't perfect.  I am shooting a Traditions Vortek NW Magnum Edition with fiber optic open sights launching a 295 grain hollowpoint Power Belt bullet.  The deer never took a step, he dropped in his tracks and was done. 

I fully understand peoples hesitation about shooting longer distances with a muzzle loader but I believe they are the same as modern firearms as in most of good shooting is practice practice practice and knowing your firearm and its limitations.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[vandeman17]

When my dad and I were preparing for a muzzy elk hunt we were practicing shooting out to 100 yards and by the time it got that far my dot covered the whole target.  I would say that I would shoot a little over 100 in perfect conditions on a broadside elk but other than that, it would have to be under 100 yards

[jackmaster]

i to shoot a 50 cal hawkins but i had peep sights put on it just like the ones on my m203 grenade launcher and i can shoot comfortable at 125 yds  no sweat, piled up my first elk at 125 on the button with that hawkin, it was one of those "touch the gun off, and then the loud thwack" and then the heart really gets crankn, and she didnt go 20ft... yeehaw

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

I have shot my muzzle loader a lot at all distances out to 200 yards and feel very comfortable with the distances of 200 or less.  Having shot my deer this year at 198 yards I can tell you I would have only taken that shot with a great rest or proned out as I happended to have been.  I was suprised at how well I could see my target on the deer vs what I see when I shoot a paper target.  Again, I had a great rest and all the time in the world.  I never would have taken a shot like that if conditions weren't perfect.  I am shooting a Traditions Vortek NW Magnum Edition with fiber optic open sights launching a 295 grain hollowpoint Power Belt bullet.  The deer never took a step, he dropped in his tracks and was done. 

I fully understand peoples hesitation about shooting longer distances with a muzzle loader but I believe they are the same as modern firearms as in most of good shooting is practice practice practice and knowing your firearm and its limitations.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Here we go again.....
I am comfortable to 300 on deer(but always try to get closer). My deer this year was only at 82 though. My buddy Kris dropped his at 270 yards last week.  Daughter took her second deer(first buck) this year at 150. Don't remember for sure but I think Septemberfan's was about 150 last week.

[dscubame]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

[ICEMAN]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

Yeah, you may be right for now....  seen these get pretty ugly in the past.

[Miles]

450 yards max. 

[buck man]

I have a TC black diamond that I can keep every shot in a paper plate with open sights to 150 yards. So that is my Max. Killed a spike bull last year with it at 124 yards. Be careful with the 295 grain ( green) power belt bullets they fragment really bad. I do use power belts but only their premium silver bullets . They hold together and penetrate much better. good luck..

[HntnFsh]

I'm pretty comfy on elk out to 125 maybe 150. The bull I killed last year I thought was in the 125 or 130 yard range. My brother in law later ranged it at 169 yards.I really was surprised when he told me that.Never would have guessed close to it.But thats what adrenaline will do for you.Fortunately the shot was good and he dropped instantly.It was a split second decision,and I didnt have time to really analyze the situation.Because the bull would have been gone in a hurry. If I would have had more time to make that decision I probably would have passed on the shot as i didnt even have a rest.I'm thankful that things worked out as they did.

[Elkslayer]

Be careful with the 295 grain ( green) power belt bullets they fragment really bad. I do use power belts but only their premium silver bullets . They hold together and penetrate much better. good luck..

  Shot a spike elk last year at 25yds with that bullet. Entry hole the size of a baseball and bullet fragments everywhere. Might be ok on deer, but I will never use them again! 

[dscubame]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

Yeah, you may be right for now....  seen these get pretty ugly in the past.

I give it page 5 and you'll have to shut her down.  But ya so far so good.

As far as comfortable range is concerned I am one who was brought up hunting and shooting open sights by the last of the open sight generation.  Most of my peers if not all had optics from day one and I am confident that still is true for majority.  Good to those fathers who insist they tootilidge their siblings open sights until they are out of the house as it makes a very good shooter in the long haul.

 150 yds max and due to the simple fact that the target becomes to small and that would be elk and pushing my comfort level, 100 yards on deer and pushing it also.  Not saying it cannot be done it is just not cool to not have a precise hit for a precise quick kill. 

Now with proper equipment and training you can witness black powder (not muzzleloader) shooters hit 500 to 1,000 yard open sight at competiton.  Ever watch the trajectory of that bullet?  It lobs 20 feet I swear!  And takes many seconds to hear the hit on iron.

[lokidog]

450 yards max.

Muzzleloader??    Hmmmm.....   

[longstevo]

Guys be nice to each other or suffer the consequences.

Not called for almighty one.

Yeah, you may be right for now....  seen these get pretty ugly in the past.

I give it page 5 and you'll have to shut her down.  But ya so far so good.

Yeah, didn't mean to start a flame war.  I was just wondering how my comfort level stacked up with other hunters.  Sounds like I need to start practicing more.  There's no way I'd be personally comfortable with a shot past 150. 

[WestPlains_Drifter]

Well......Before this week i was totally comfortable shooting at 150-175yds with my elkhorn. But after make a crappy shot on a cow on Sunday at 140yds I have changed it down to 125. I can hit a pie plate @ 200, but things change when the moment hits. Live and learn

[jechicdr]

Back before they allowed sabots in WA, only lead projectiles...had a cow elk at 75 yards...lined up the off hand shot at 75 yards at chest...took the shot...when the smoke cleared.  There was no sign of the elk.  Walked up to where she was and found her dropped right there with a bullet through the brain.  Got lucky on that one.  I can actually shoot my bow more accurately at 75 yards than I could with my muzzleloader.  Hunted midwest with scope and sabots and took deer at 150 yards and target practiced at 200.  Basically the gun is accurate, but the sights are not.  Without a rest, I'd limit myself to bow range.  With a rest would leave it at 100.  With a scope, out to 200.

[Kowsrule30]

150 would be about my max for deer if all the stars aligned.... Maybe 175 for elk..... Again if everything was perfect..... I paseed up a shot on a 26" wide 2x3 MD last year cause I couldn't hold the bead on him steady @ 168 yards....When I could get a rest all I could see was his head and upper neck..... So I let him walk.... But everybody in camp except a few said I should've shot or they would've laid him down..... I just didn't feel comfortable with the shot so I chose to pass.... I have shot a BT doe at 172 yards a few years ago on the last day of late deer.... My range finder said 142..... Turns out I lined up on a deer directy above her on the slope.... Dropped her with a low heart shot and watched the doe I really ranged stare at me as I stood up..... But to tell you the truth I probably would've taken the 172 yard shot if I knew it was that far in those conditions again.... It's hard for me to focus on the sights while trying to keep them lined up on a kill shot much farther then 125 yards.... So I have a mental mind game for any range.... Focus on the kill zone.... Let the shot come.... When I'm focused on the kill shot the sights come together and I squeeze off...... I had 20/20 plus vision til I was 17.... My first ML purchase was a used one.... An early inline with rear nipple and exsposed hammer..... It blew the nipple and hammer into my face on the second shot.... I now have glasses along with a bunch of metal and powder still in my face 11 years later.... I'm still working with my eye doc to find the perfect set up for hunting and work... Not an easy or cheap process....

[scudmaster]

100...conditions were right and a great rest 150

  Same for me